Al-Qa'eda bombing suspect is seized

By Joe Jenkins, Foreign Staff

12:01AM BST 30 Jul 2004

An al-Qa'eda leader who was hunted across the world for almost six years for his suspected role in the bombing of two American embassies in East Africa was in custody in Pakistan last night. Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian who is on the FBI's list of "most wanted terrorists", was seized on Sunday by security forces after a 12-hour gun battle in the eastern city of Gujrat, officials said.

The US government had offered up to $25 million (£14 million) for information leading to his arrest. Ghailani, who is believed to be about 30, was indicted in a New York court in 1998 for his alleged involvement in the car bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam which killed 224 people, including 12 Americans, and injured 5,400.

The attacks brought al-Qa'eda and Osama bin Laden to the world's attention.

Ghailani faces the death penalty if extradited to America for trial.

Pakistan has been under intense pressure from the United States to deliver on its pledge to track down al-Qa'eda leaders.